


Two’s Company, Ten’s a Family

by shipNslash



Series: I’m Gonna Love Ya Till the Heavens Stop the Rain [4]
Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: 5 Things, 5+1 Things, Alive Dave, Boy are these kids messed up, Dave lives, Dave’s got his work cut out for him, Drug Addiction, Drug Use, Drug Withdrawal, Family, Healing, Homophobia, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Siblings, but not really, five things
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-05
Updated: 2019-05-05
Packaged: 2020-02-26 15:27:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,071
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18719842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shipNslash/pseuds/shipNslash
Summary: Klaus frowns a little. “Oh, right, sorry. Dave, this is my mother, Grace Hargreeves, a robot.”Dave blinks once, slowly. “...a robot..?” He repeats.Klaus nods enthusiastically. “Yeah. Mom, please meet David Katz, my boy- my best friend.”~Dave’s first month in the future, as told through five times Dave is introduced to Klaus’ family and the one time he is introduced as a part of the family.





	Two’s Company, Ten’s a Family

**Author's Note:**

> The fourth in this series! Can be read separately but will probably make more sense if you read the first three.

~_~_~_~

 

 

_~ One ~ Dave’s 1st Day in 2019 ~_

 

 

Dave spends the first hour awake making Klaus explain their current predicament over and over.

 

First, he’s confused-

 

_“Wait, Klaus, slow down. Where are we?”_

_“I think you should be asking ‘when’ are we.”_

Then incredulous-

_“What do you mean ‘when’...?”_

_“I maybe might’ve sort’ve... used my stolen time travel briefcase to bring you to 2019 so that you wouldn’t die from a traumatic bullet wound?”_

 

Then angry-

_“You’re telling me you could have used that briefcase at any time?!”_

_“I don’t know how it works! I could’ve just as well dropped us in the middle of Pompeii or something!”_

Then furious-

_“Don’t you ever put yourself at risk like that again-”_

_“You were going to die, Dave-”_

 

Before the pair falls together in a tangle of limbs. It makes Dave’s bullet wound twinge with pain but nothing has made him feel more at ease than the press of Klaus’ skinny, bloody, dirty arms wrapped around his torso and his scruffy beard rubbing against his cheek.

 

“I love you,” he whispers, voice cracking.

 

Klaus gives a soft sob right into Dave’s ear. “Love you more,” he retorts, playfully petulant.

 

“Doubt it,” Dave argues gently and presses a kiss to Klaus’ hairline. “I woke up and you weren’t here. I was so scared.”

 

The other man sniffles. “I know, baby, I’m sorry. I had to take care of something, had to keep you safe-”

 

_Knock, knock._

 

Dave jerks away from Klaus just in time for the door to open and reveal the nurse that Dave woke up to earlier, the overly polite one with blonde curls and pretty features.

 

“I brought soup,” she says cheerfully, smiling the same neutral smile that Dave remembers finding odd, even through the haze of pain killers. “How do you feel, David?”

 

Dave smiles, trying his hardest not to look like a dirty homosexual, and accepts the tray. “Much better, ma’am, all thanks to you,” he responds, flashing her his most charming smile.

 

“I’m glad. It’d be a shame to lose a polite young man such as yourself,” she tells him, teasing tilt to her otherwise bland voice.

 

It’s an odd thing to say, Dave thinks, considering how much younger than him she looks.

 

And what’s even odder is the dopey smile on Klaus’ face as he looks up at her. “Thanks for keeping an eye on him while I had to step out.”

 

“It was no problem, sweetie,” says the woman, bending at the waist to press a tender kiss to Klaus’ forehead. “Anything for you.”

 

And with the force of a hurricane, something in Dave’s chest snaps. He should have known better, he thinks. He should have known that Klaus -beautiful, amazing Klaus- had a woman waiting for him. And this woman doesn’t exactly look like Klaus’ type, with her perfect curls and housewife dress, but what the hell does Dave know about Klaus Hargreeves? That he’s a time traveling medium who likes drugs and pretty things? Is that all Dave is to him, just another one of his distractions?

 

Klaus laughs easily, oblivious to Dave’s panic. “I wouldn’t have trusted him with anybody else,” he says and shoots Dave a flirty wink.

 

“Don’t joke like that,” Dave croaks out weakly.

 

That makes the skinny man frown. “Joke about what? You don’t look so good, Dave, is something wrong?”

 

“Wrong?” A burst of hysterical laughter pushes its way up Dave’s throat. “No, I’m just fine! I was shot, teleported to 2019, and now your girlfriend is my nurse! Why wouldn’t I be fine?!”

 

Klaus’ face creases first in confusion- and then in fond amusement. “My... girlfriend?”He repeats, giving a small giggle.

 

“What do you think is so funny?!” Dave shouts in an uncharacteristic bought of anger.

 

Klaus immediately winces and holds out a hand in a placating manner. “Nothing, nothing is funny. It’s just- this is my mom.”

 

“Your... mom?” Dave repeats and _alta kaka_ , his heart can’t take this much in one day. “She’s at least a decade younger than us!”

 

Klaus frowns a little. “Oh, right, sorry. Dave, this is my mother, Grace Hargreeves, a robot.”

 

Dave blinks once, slowly. “... a... robot...?” He repeats.

 

Klaus nods enthusiastically. “Yeah. Mom, please meet David Katz, my boy- my best friend.”

 

 _So his mom doesn’t know we’re together,_ Dave notes somewhere in the back of his mind. More presently, however, he can’t stop repeating, “...robot?”

 

“Yeah. Listen, it’s not that weird-” Klaus is cut off by the door swinging open.

 

“Ah, Mister Klaus, your guest is awake, wonderful.” Standing in the doorway is... “I am Doctor Pogo, a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

 

Dave takes a deep breath in, out. “Klaus... is that a... talking monkey?”

 

Klaus gently smacks Dave on the shoulder. “OMG, Dave! Don’t be rude! He’s my godfather. And he’s not a monkey, he’s a chimp,” Klaus explains, simple as that.

 

“It looks like you and your guest need some time,” Grace -the robot mother- says sweetly. “We’ll leave you two alone.”

 

“Of course. Ring if you need us, Mister Klaus,” Pogo -the talking chimpanzee godfather- says before ushering out Grace and letting the door swing shut.

 

Dave doesn’t say anything to break the silence and after worrying his thumb nail for a moment, Klaus quietly peeps up. “Are you... okay?”

 

 _No,_ Dave almost shouts. _I’ve been shot! You have a robot mom! Your godfather is a talking chimp! It’s 2019!_

 

But Klaus is looking at him with those big green eyes and fuck if Dave doesn’t know exactly what his weakness is. So he smiles gingerly and makes a ‘come hither’ gesture. “Nothing some of your sugar can’t fix, sunshine,” he purrs.

 

“You absolute dog!” Klaus crows and carefully bounces onto the edge of the bed, curling up against Dave’s good side.

 

He smirks and presses a passionate kiss to his lover’s lips. “Can’t resist you.”

 

“Mmph,” Klaus grunts in pleasure before leaning back a little. “Easy there, tiger. When Mom said you should consume a lot of fluids, I think she meant the soup.”

 

Dave groans. “That’s disgusting, Klaus,” he tells the giggling man.

 

“I thought I was irresistible?” Klaus asks, play-pouting, as he starts to carefully hold up the bowl of lukewarm broth.

 

Dave obediently takes a sip. “You somehow manage to be both at the same time.”

 

“Only for you, my beloved,” Klaus coos. After Dave has finished a respectable amount of both broth and ginger ale, Klaus tucks him back into bed and runs a gentle hand slowly up and down the blond’s chest. When he lets out a big yawn, Klaus smiles softly. “You tired?”

 

Dave nods. “I feel like I could sleep for another fifty years,” he says, only half joking.

 

“Then sleep. I’ll be here when you wake up,” Klaus promises.

 

Dave wiggles until he and Klaus are firmly pressed together. “Sorry ‘bout accusing your robot mom of being your secret future girlfriend,” he mumbles sleepily.

 

Klaus laughs quietly. “I forgive you, sweet-cheeks. Sorry about never mentioning that my godfather is a talking chimpanzee.”

 

Dave laughs, too, and then winces a little when it irritates his side. “As long as that’s the last of your secrets,” he tells Klaus with a smile.

 

“Definitely- what, Ben? Oh, right. Also, Ben’s here.”

 

“...that’s the ghost brother?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“...hi, Ben.”

 

 

_~ Two ~ Dave’s 2nd Day in 2019 ~_

 

 

“Just go, I’ve got it.”

 

Dave tries to blink but his eyelids feel too heavy.

 

“I want to be here when he wakes up,” says a familiar voice- Klaus.

 

A stranger answers, tone annoyed. “You’re so fucking obnoxious. Just go shower, Klaus, you’re starting to stink. Dan will understand.”

 

Klaus gives a groan of protest. “His name is Dave. And fine, I’m going. I’ll be right back.” There’s the quick step of feet -Klaus’ recognizable gate- and then the sound of a door opening and closing. It takes Dave another fifteen minutes to finally blink awake and, after wincing at the bright light, the first thing he sees is a pair of dark brown eyes far too close to his face for normal human levels of comfort.

 

The thought makes him a little hysterical, so he doesn’t think he should be held accountable for his first words being, “you’re not another robot, are you?”

 

“So you’ve met Mom,” the man says with far too much sarcasm to be a robot.

 

Dave groans and sits up a little. “I’ve had the pleasure. You must be one of Klaus’ brothers?” He asks, looking the man up and down. “Let me guess... Diego?”

 

The stranger’s expression goes a little shocked, scarred eyebrow raising. “He’s told you about me?” He asks, surprised.

 

“Of course,” Dave says with a nod. “He’s told me about all of you.”

 

“And what did he have to say?” Diego questions, leaning back and crossing his arms.

 

Dave shrugs. “Um. Number two, good with knives. You were always the sibling Klaus called to drive him to and from rehab and court because you were the only one who still answered his calls. You wanted to be a cop but you found it stifling so you work as a vigilante now. Klaus likes your peanut butter pancakes a lot.” And then Dave laughs a little before managing to stifle it behind his hand. “He said your superhero costume looks like a leather club get-up.”

 

Diego’s face contorts in a heartbreaking mixture of sadness and fondness before quickly falling back into an unreadable mask. “Is that so?”

 

“And he missed you,” Dave adds. “He missed you all so much.”

 

“And what about you?” Diego asks, leaning forward on his elbows. There’s a knife in his hands suddenly, spinning back and forth quickly.

 

Dave pulls back a little and squints. “What do you mean?”

 

Diego smirks, something mean and ugly and totally foreign to the sad smile he’d been wearing a moment ago. “I mean,” he hisses lowly, “that my brother has had some... worrying habits in the past,” Diego explains. “I want to know who you are to him.”

 

Dave’s heartbeat quickly ratchets up a tick. Klaus had mentioned to Dave that a few of his siblings had caught him with men before but he hadn’t thought it would come up this quickly...

 

“I’m his friend.” Dave thinks his voice comes out sounding fairly even, considering the panic swelling in his chest. If Diego realizes that he and Klaus are together, will he kick him out? Will Klaus be forced to choose between him and family? That’s the last thing Dave wants. So he swallows down his fears and puts on his most confused frown. “We soldiered together in Vietnam. Has he not told you that?”

 

“A friend,” Diego repeats, gaze unimpressed.

 

Dave nods once, calmly. “Brothers in arms.”

 

“Brothers in arms.” Diego’s eyebrows hit his hairline. “And that’s it?”

 

He shrugs. “What more could we be?” He asks vaguely.

 

“Oh, I don’t know.” Diego stops flipping the knife, grip going steady and still as he leans even closer to Dave. “One of his little low life tweaker pals?”

 

Dave doesn’t know what ‘tweaker’ means but it sounds familiar, and not in a good way. “We’re just friends.”

 

“You better be,” Diego snarls before leaning back. “I’m giving you one chance, Dan-”

 

“Dave.”

 

“-whatever. You get one chance to be good for Klaus before you find yourself on the wrong end of more trouble than you can even imagine. And that’s only because your little bullet catching act got Five that suitcase and stopped the apocalypse,” he finishes calmly.

 

Dave slumps back in his bed, beyond exhausted even though he just woke up. “Did you just say... apocalypse?” He asks weakly.

 

“Yeah, turns out our sister is basically an atomic bomb and-”

 

Diego is cut off by the door flinging open. “I’m back!” Klaus yells, skidding into the room in a flurry of long limbs and frantic energy.

 

And, listen, Dave does not know what he did to deserve this but-

 

Klaus is standing in the doorway, freshly showered and shaved. His skin is flushed pink, his goatee is trim, his hair is curling wetly at the ends, and he’s wearing... Dave swallows and wills his body to understand the severity of the situation. His boyfriend is standing there in black, leather, lace-up pants and a worn thin t-shirt, Dave’s dog tag shining beneath the translucent fabric.

 

 _I can pass for heterosexual_ , Dave reminds himself firmly before smiling calmly.

 

“Hey, Klaus.”

 

“Davey!” Klaus screams and pounces onto the edge of the bed, careful not to jostle Dave’s bad side. “You’re awake!”

 

Dave nods shakily. “Sure am. Got to meet your brother.”

 

Klaus looks up at Diego and gives a pout. “You said something mean,” he accuses.

 

“Never,” Diego defends halfheartedly, hands going up in a defensive gesture. The knife he’d been twirling is suddenly missing, Dave notes.

 

“Yes, huh!” Klaus argues, arms crossed childishly. “Ben’s been here the whole time and he told me so.”

 

Dave side-eyes Diego and tries not to react when Klaus pats his thigh with a gentle hand. “It’s fine. Tell Ben thanks for looking out for me. Now, what’s this I hear about the apocalypse?”

 

Klaus waves his hand distractedly. “Five and Vanya are in, like, prehistoric times working on her control or something. They’re gonna use the briefcase to get home when they’re done, don’t worry about it. You’re the one that got shot, how do you feel?” And then Klaus bends close, as if to kiss Dave’s cheek-

 

“I’m fine!” Dave yelps and quickly leans out of Klaus’ reach.

 

“Oh,” Klaus whispers, eyes creasing sadly at the edges. “Good. That’s- that’s good. Diego, do you think you could drive me to the store? Dave will need some clothes to wear. And he probably wants some alone time to- ya know, to rest.”

 

And then he’s up and fluttering out of the room before Dave can say another word. Diego glares at him harshly and points the magically reappearing knife at Dave again. “You better fucking watch it,” he hisses quietly before following Klaus and slamming the door behind him.

 

As soon as he’s alone, Dave puffs out an exhausted breath and lets his head thump back against the pillow.

 

“Shit.”

 

 

_~ Three ~ Dave’s 7th Day in 2019 ~_

 

Dave spends the rest of the week mostly in bed, being cared to by the uncomfortably polite Grace, slogging through annotated history books lent to him by Pogo so that he can ‘catch up’, and relaxing with Klaus. He finds that, despite his worries, 21st century Klaus is pretty similar to his Vietnam Klaus. If anything, he’s only different in ways that make him more Klaus. He wears makeup under his eyes and paints his toenails and dresses in tight pants and eccentric tops that show off more than Dave knows what to do with.

 

Currently, Klaus is trying to decide between which movie franchise they should start next, both ‘Star’ something or another.

 

“Star Wars is probably more main stream but I really think you’d be a Kirk guy, ya know?” Klaus is saying from where he’s sitting cross legged at the end of the bed.

 

Dave can only smile fondly. “Whatever you want, sunshine,” he says easily

 

“You pick,” Klaus insists, leaning in close. “I’ve seen all of both of ‘em already.”

 

He rolls his eyes. “Does either one have a six foot tall, tattooed brunette with green eyes and a penchant for annoying his sweetheart?”

 

“Spock might not be too far off,” Klaus says with a giggle and presses a quick kiss to Dave’s cheek before he moves to get up, probably to put in one of the films.

 

Dave catches him with a hand around the waist and pulls the skinny man closer. “I’m tired of movies,” he whispers. “Is Ben here?” Klaus grins and looks around the room quickly before shaking his head. “Then maybe we can try something a little more... hands on.” And then he quickly nips at the red lips in front of his, knowing exactly how crazy it drives the other man.

 

“Kaaaatz,” Klaus whines, just like Dave knew he would. “You know how much I want to but- you’re still healing, baby.”

 

Dave waves away his concern with his free hand. “Come on, I’m fine. I walked to the bathroom all by myself this morning.”

 

“Oh, should I sign you up for a marathon then?” Klaus asks sarcastically before wiggling out of Dave’s grip.

 

He reaches after him uselessly, wiggling his fingers in protest. “Come on, sunshine!”

 

Klaus opens his mouth to respond but whatever he wanted to say is cut off by the door swinging forcefully open to reveal-

 

_Sigh._

 

“Hello, Diego.”

 

“Hello, Katz.”

 

-Dave’s least favorite thing about the 21st century. Klaus’ brother does not like Dave and he just can’t figure out why. He’s done everything he can to keep him from thinking that Dave and Klaus are together, going so far as to touch Klaus as little as possible when the other man is around and pointedly referring to him as ‘friend’. And with every visit, it seems to make Klaus more and more sad and Diego more and more angry. He really doesn’t know what to do about it but he’s willing to put up with anything for Klaus’ sake, so he smiles bitterly and waves the other man in.

 

“To what do I owe this visit?” He asks politely.

 

Diego looms ominously in the doorway like he always does, expression cool. “Just stopping by to visit my little brother.”

 

“We’re the same age!” Klaus protests. “Besides, you know that’s not true. Are they here?”

 

Dave is about to ask who ‘they’ are when an unfamiliar face pops up over Diego’s shoulder. “Can we please come in now?” Says a pretty, dark skinned woman with wild curls.

 

“ _Mi casa es su casa_ ,” Klaus chirps happily.

 

Diego and the woman duck into the room and are immediately followed by the biggest man Dave has ever layed eyes on, a blond in a trench coat.

 

“Guys, meet my dear friend, Dave,” Klaus introduces, gesturing toward Dave with flamboyant jazz hands. “Dave, this is-”

 

Dave cuts Klaus off with a grin. “Allison Hargreeves, movie star and fashion icon, and Luther Hargreeves, astronaut and karaoke master,” he finishes.

 

“He’s told you about us,” Luther says, looking as shocked by the revelation as Diego had.

 

Allison doesn’t look at all surprised. She strides forward and offers Dave a hand to shake, eyes assessing and smile plastic. “Of course he has. It’s a pleasure, Dave.”

 

“Likewise,” he exchanges cautiously. “Congrats on stopping the apocalypse last week. How’ve you been since then?”

 

Allison’s smile, if possible, goes a little colder. “Fine. Luther and I flew out to L.A. to spend some time with my daughter. Sorry we didn’t come visit sooner,” she apologizes, tone anything but sincere.

 

“Nonsense, family first,” Dave assures her; not that he has any practical experience with family matters, of course, but it sounds like the right thing to say.

 

Klaus perches on the edge of the bed - _too close, too close, be careful, don’t let them see_ \- and nudges Dave gently with his elbow. “How’d you fit on a plane, Luther? I’m sure cargo is very roomy this time of year.”

 

“Very funny,” Luther grumbles even though he doesn’t look offended. “We just wanted to check on you two. Diego said-”

 

Allison immediately shushes him at the same time that Diego whacks him in the shoulder. “Shut it, bro,” he growls.

 

“Diego said... what?” Klaus asks hesitantly, looking at first his three siblings and then the empty chair by the window -Ben must be back- before turning to Dave in confusion.

 

The large man shrugs sheepishly. “Uh, nothing?”

 

“Ostrich shit,” Klaus hisses, suspicion and anger both clear in his voice. Dave desperately wants to reach out and run a soothing hand down his back and he twists his hands in the sheets to control the urge. “You’re telling me you’re here just to say hi? Since when have you ever gone out of your way to say hi to your junkie brother?”

 

Allison frowns. “It’s not like that, Klaus. But... Diego might’ve mentioned that he was worried about...” She looks at Dave again with cool eyes. “Well, he said he wasn’t sure about Dave,” she finishes simply.

 

“This again?!” Dave laughs, even though the situation isn’t the least bit funny. “I’ve told Diego already, Klaus and I are just friends!” He all but yells, for what feels like the millionth time.

 

And he hates it -with every fiber of his being, he hates it- because just like he has every time, Klaus curls up on himself, a sad, hurt frown pulling at his lips. It breaks Dave’s heart but if this is what he has to do to keep them together and safe, well- it seems like a small price to pay.

 

Diego obviously doesn’t agree because he throws his hands in the air and huffs. “See?! Told you so!”

 

“Don’t do this guys,” Klaus mumbles miserably. “Please? Things are fine the way they are.”

 

Dave nods eagerly, desperate to back Klaus up, but Allison’s glare is like daggers. “Who do you think you are?!” She snarls, pointing at Dave with one perfectly manicured finger.

 

“I just want what’s best for Klaus,” Dave blurts, suddenly too exhausted to keep lying.

 

While Klaus looks seconds away from tears, Diego looks ready to commit homicide, and Allison looks like a scorned mama bear, Luther just looks downright baffled. “Guys, what’s the problem?” He asks, tugging gently on the back of Allison’s coat. “He said they’re friends and they are, right?”

 

“Oh for God’s sake- Luther!” Allison turns and stares up at the man in exasperation. “They’re not _just_ friends, okay? They’re together.”

 

Dave cringes back, unsure of what is supposed to come next- and then breaks a little inside at the sight of Klaus swiping angrily at tears. “He doesn’t have to be my boyfriend if he doesn’t want to be, guys, gees. Can’t you just leave it alone?” He begs, voice desperate and cracking.

 

_...what?_

 

“But he’s hurting you!” Diego yells at the same time that Dave bolts upright, ignoring the flare of pain it causes. “Of course I want to be your boyfriend!”

 

All four Hargreeves siblings turn to look at him, expressions ranging from-

 

Outraged. “How dare you?!” Diego spits.

 

To incredulous. “Wait, what?” Allison gasps.

 

To hopeful. “You... do?” Klaus whispers.

 

To just plain confused. “What’s the problem again?” Luther asks, spinning around in a fashion reminiscent of puppies looking for their tails.

 

“What makes you think I wouldn’t want to be your boyfriend?” Dave questions, baffled. He reaches out and grabs ahold of Klaus’ shaking hands and presses a kiss to both sets of knuckles, regardless of their audience. “Sunshine, I love you.”

 

Klaus’ jaw works on thin air for a quick moment before he sputters out, “well, whenever someone else is around, you act like we’re just friends!” He protests.

 

Dave makes a noise high in his throat, distressed and distraught. “Baby, I don’t wanna cause a rift in your family! You never said you wanted to come out to them so I’ve just been trying to keep us safe!”

 

“Safe...? Oh, Dave. They all know I’m pan. None of them care,” Klaus breathes out, eyes so full of hope that the green is practically glowing.

 

“But you-” Dave looks around for some kind of explanation. “My first day here, you introduced me to your mom as your friend!”

 

Klaus gapes. “Because we’d never talked about how we wanted to be labeled! What if you wanted to go by partner or something?!” Klaus protests.

 

The whole room is silent for a moment, broken only when Diego speaks, tone low and incredulous. “Are you telling me... I’ve spent the last week hating a man for hurting you... because you didn’t know if he wanted to be your boyfriend or your partner...?”

 

“Hold on! This is half your fault!” Dave snaps, spinning to point at Diego.

 

He raises his eyebrows in shock. “My fault?” He repeats, disbelieving.

 

“The first time we talked, you threatened me!” Dave reminds him. “You said I better not be one of his tweaker buddies!”

 

There’s another silence, longer than the first, and this time it’s Klaus who breaks it, manic giggle escaping his lips. “Dave, baby... tweaker is slang for junkie. You didn’t... oh my god, you did!” He giggles again and everyone else in the room exchanges confused glances. “Diego threatened you because he thought you’d be bad for my drug habit,” Klaus gets out around a mouthful of laughter, “but you though he was threatening you for being a ‘twink’! Oh my god!” And then he dissolves into a giggle fit so severe, he almost falls off the bed, clutching at his stomach.

 

Dave is the first to join him, closely followed by Diego and then Allison, which leaves Luther still sputtering in misunderstanding.

 

“Guys, wait, come on! Are we mad at Dave or not?”

 

 

_~ Four ~ Dave’s 13th Day in 2019 ~_

 

Slowly but surely, Dave heals.

 

Shaky trips to the bathroom become shaky tours around the obscenely large mansion, Klaus supporting his weight as he offers up anecdotes from his childhood cheerfully; far too cheerfully for Dave’s taste, considering that most of the stories are downright horrifying. He moves into Klaus’ room once Grace releases him from the infirmary and he feels right at home in the messy space. The nonsensical graffiti and psychedelic posters are much more his speed than the rest of the stuffy mansion and he eagerly soaks up all the little signs of what his boyfriend -his boyfriend!- was like before they met.

 

He still hasn’t ventured outside of the mansion, though, so when Klaus starts pulling on a coat one evening, he eagerly abandons his Pogo-assigned reading material.

 

“Are we going somewhere?” He asks, hopeful.

 

Klaus stalls and looks towards the desk with wide eyes. “Uh...”

 

Dave frowns. “What?” He asks, looking over to the chair where he’s sure Ben is sitting.

 

“I’m just going out for some fresh air,” Klaus tells Dave after he sticks his tongue out at the ghost. “You don’t have to come.”

 

“Please?” Dave stretches. “I feel up to it and I’m really getting cabin fever here,” he explains.

 

Klaus hesitates but sighs and nods. “Okay, okay, yeah. Let’s go find you a pair of Diego’s shoes, Bigfoot.”

 

“My feet are normal sized, sunshine,” he protests with a laugh- but follows Klaus anyways.

 

He’ll always, always follow Klaus.

 

They spend the next hour slowly exploring the city, Klaus even more wound up than usual and Dave stumbling after him slack jawed. He can’t stop looking around in amazement; the cars, the clothes, the buildings- everything is different.

 

Well... maybe not everything, Dave decides, when they find themselves in a rundown park noticeably absent of young children.

 

“What are we doing here?” Dave asks, wearily checking a park bench before settling down. Despite his protests that he feels fine, his side really is starting to ache.

 

Klaus doesn’t seem to notice Dave’s discomfort, bouncing on the balls of his feet in a well recognized sign of-

 

“Oh.” Dave scowls and crosses his arms. “We’re here so you can get high.”

 

The skinny man winces and shrinks back a little. “I’m not going to do anything crazy, baby-cakes. I’ve just run through everything I have at home and need to fill up. It’ll take five minutes, I’ll be right back.”

 

“What do you mean? Where are you going?” Dave catches Klaus by the wrist gently as the other man tries to walk away.

 

Klaus jerks his arm back on instinct, easily breaking Dave’s soft grip. “Around the corner, gees!” He snaps, glaring.

 

“Sorry,” Dave mumbles with a frown. “Just... be safe. Is Ben going with you?”

 

Klaus deflates a little. “He’s- Yeah, Ben’s coming. Five minutes,” he repeats before turning and striding away, ridiculous cost swooshing behind him.

 

So Dave sits and waits. Five minutes go by with no sign of Klaus and he starts jittering his leg nervously. By the time ten minutes have gone by, Dave carefully pushes himself to his feet and is trying to decide what direction to look first when a familiar, high pitched giggle echoes from the nearest alley.

 

“Klaus?” Dave calls out as he cautiously approaches.

 

Leaning against the wall and grinning at an empty milk crate is the man in question, looking unsteady and pale. “Daaaaavey,” he calls out when he looks up, voice giddy.

 

“What’re you doing, sunshine?” Dave whispers, holding his arms out. “Come here.”

 

Klaus does as instructed, stumbling forward and falling into Dave. One of his skinny elbows catches Dave right in his bad side but his grunt of pain is drowned out by Klaus’ manic chatter. “Davey, Davey, Davey!” He mumbles, eagerly nosing at the taller man’s jaw line.

 

“Relax,” Dave grunts as he tries to get keep a grip on Klaus with one arm and clutch at his stitches with the other.

 

His serious tone is lost on Klaus. “I- I loooove you, baby. I love you, sugar.”

 

“I know,” Dave mutters and starts prodding Klaus to walk. “Come on, we’ve got to get home.”

 

Klaus follows easily enough, staggering and letting his head loll lazily. “Ben says you’re shmad at me. You mad?” Klaus asks, imploring and desperate in the way only those ten sheets to the wind can be.

 

“Of course not,” Dave lies and keeps walking.

 

It takes far longer to get back to the mansion than it did to get to the park, partially because of the state they’re in and partially because Dave has no idea where the hell they’re going. They eventually make it, falling through the doorway and into the empty foyer. Klaus immediately collapses on the loveseat in the hallway, mumbling either to Ben or to himself, while Dave braces himself against the wall and carefully unbuttons his shirt.

 

The last thing he’s aware of is prodding at his torn stitches with a shaking finger and then-

 

Darkness.

 

~_~

 

The next thing Dave is aware of is quiet, hitched crying.

 

It’s Klaus, voice broken and soft. “I- I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to-”

 

Sudden silence.

 

“I know, okay?” Klaus blurts out. “I know I fucked up, it’s just-”

 

More silence.

 

“You... you don’t think he’ll leave me, do you?” The man asks, soft and scared.

 

Dave manages to get a hold of himself and blinks awake. “I’d never leave you,” he croaks out.

 

Klaus, curled up on himself and dressed in an uncharacteristically bland hoodie, bolts up in his chair. “Dave! Don’t move, I’ll get Mom!”

 

“Wait.” Dave leans forward to catch Klaus’ wrist and winces in pain but doesn’t let go. “Are you okay?”

 

Klaus laughs in disbelief. “Am I...? Dave, I hurt you,” he whispers feverishly.

 

“No, no, I’m fine,” Dave assures him, tugging weakly on Klaus.

 

The skinny man allows himself to be pulled close and tentatively perches on the edge of the infirmary’s bed. “You’re not. Because of me.”

 

“I don’t want to argue,” Dave whispers and wraps his arms around his boyfriend. “Just lay down with me, please.”

 

“Okay.”

 

~_~

 

Grace releases Dave a few hours later with a firm reminder to take it easy.

 

Klaus and Diego help him stagger upstairs and, after Klaus tucks Dave into bed and presses a gentle kiss to his forehead, he stands and breathes in deeply.

 

“Diego, can I talk to you outside please?” He asks, facing the desk chair in the corner instead of either of the other two men.

 

His brother side-eyes Dave but nods. “Sure, bro.”

 

Dave lets them leave without a fight, too exhausted to make a fuss about being excluded. But when they renter the room five minutes later, Diego looking ecstatic and Klaus looking panicked, he pushes himself up onto his elbows.

 

“What’s going on?” He asks the pair. “You okay, sunshine?”

 

Klaus nods and looks at his feet. “‘Course, Davey. Relax,” he instructs before breathing deeply and nodding at Diego.

 

The man claps his hands together loudly. “Let’s get this show on the road! Where should I start?”

 

“The... Fuck. The air vents,” Klaus mumbles around his thumb nail.

 

“Klaus, what’s going on?” Dave asks again and holds his arms out. Klaus drifts towards him as if on instinct and, once Dave has him tucked close, he asks again. “Please tell me what’s happening?”

 

Diego is the one who answers, braced against a dresser as he uses a knife to pry a ceiling vent loose. “My baby bro is getting clean,” he explains, shooting Dave an excited grin.

 

“You’re- What?” He looks down at Klaus and raises his eyebrows in confusion.

 

Klaus squirms and bites his lip. “I... I hurt you.”

 

“You’re getting clean because of my stitches?” Dave clarifies. “But what about...?”

 

When he trails off, the other man squeezes his eyes shut. “All the twelve steps programs say you’re supposed to do it for yourself and find strength in a high power. Well... nothing I’ve ever done for myself has ended well and I’m agnostic, so... this is is going to have to do,” he says in a rush.

 

“Hell yeah,” Diego cheers and then- “Ugh, Klaus! Are these used needles wrapped in a condom?”

 

Klaus snorts wetly into Dave’s shoulder. “No, the needles are clean. The condom’s used, though.”

 

“Bro!”

 

~_~

 

The first twelve hours pass by fairly uneventfully.

 

The second twelve hours introduce vomiting, shaking, swearing, sweating, and body aches.

 

The third twelve hours introduce screaming at thin air, sobbing, scratching at his skin with fingernails, and begging for forgiveness from everyone in a ten mile radius.

 

The fourth twelve hours bring a morsel of relief. His fever breaks, he can keep down broth and ginger ale, and between Ben’s ghostly presence and Dave’s earthly one, the spirits and phantoms seem to take a backseat to the physical world.

 

It’s the hardest thing Dave has ever had to do -harder than his mother’s death, his sister disowning him, the war, even the near death experience- but by the third day of sobriety, he is about ready to burst with pride. That being said... he’s been practically glued to Klaus’ side since arriving in 2019. So when Allison asks to take him shopping for some new clothes while Luther keeps an eye on Klaus, he readily agrees.

 

Klaus crosses his arms and pouts. “I don’t need a babysitter.”

 

“Yes, you do,” Luther states calmly at the same time that Allison patiently tells him, “sobriety is hard, we’re just trying to help.”

 

Dave kisses Klaus gently on the cheek before leaving. “I love you,” he says, because he can.

 

The skinny man’s annoyed frown flickers into a quick smile. “Love you more.”

 

~_~

 

Shopping with Allison is as fun as it is exhausting and before too long, they’re walking back into the mansion, weighed down with bags of clothes in both Dave and Klaus’ size.

 

And then, as they’re trekking downstairs to drop them off in the bedrooms, they pass Luther. Drunk.

 

“Luther?!” Allison yelps in confusion. “What’s going on?!”

 

Dave spins around in panic. “And where’s Klaus?!”

 

“Fuck! Dad!” Luther slurs. “And fuck! The moon!”

 

And then promptly falls over, giant body causing a bang that echoes down the cavernous hallway. Allison drops all of her shopping bags and looks around in alarm. “What is going on?!” She demands of- Dave?

 

“I don’t know?” Dave yells back. “ _Oy gevalt!_ Klaus?!”

 

Allison points towards the end of the hall. “We got rid of all the alcohol in the bar, they must have gotten it from Dad’s study.”

 

“Got it!” Dave dumps his bags and bolts for the room, wincing as he feels stitches ripping again.

 

He tumbles through the doorway and the first thing he sees is Klaus, face down and unconscious, unopened bottle of scotch by his side and surrounded by shards of broken pottery. “Shit, shit, shit!” Dave swears and falls to his boyfriend’s side.

 

“Don’t worry,” says an unfamiliar voice. “He’s not drunk, I just knocked him unconscious with Dad’s favorite vase.”

 

Standing above them is an unfamiliar man, clad in a hoodie and leather jacket and clutching the broken bottom of a vase. Dave throws himself between Klaus and the stranger on instinct and glares, itching for the gun that he’d complained about so many times before.

 

“Who are you?” He spits, ready to pounce.

 

The stranger only smiles. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Dave. I’m Ben.”

 

“...what?”

 

 

_~ Five ~ Dave’s 25th Day in 2019 ~_

 

 

Over the next week, Ben becomes a fairly common place sight around the mansion. Sometimes he’s corporeal and sometimes he’s like a hologram, visible but intangible. His visits never last long but all the other Hargreeves are both ecstatic to see their brother again and openly proud of Klaus, which is something the recovering addict sorely needs.

 

And Ben-

 

Well, Ben is quickly gaining on Klaus for the title of‘Dave’s favorite Hargreeves’. Maybe it’s his dry humor, maybe it’s his quiet, comforting nature, or maybe-

 

“And then this Vietnamese girl, she says, ‘I like your top’, and Klaus goes-”

 

“Let me guess; ‘thanks, his name’s Dave’?”

 

-maybe it’s the way he’s the only Hargreeves sibling who can _tease_ Klaus without _making fun_ of Klaus.

 

Not that he doesn’t get along with the others. He talks about sports with Luther and cars with Diego and musicals with Allison and he even bonds with Pogo and Grace; over history and cooking, respectively. Slowly, steadily, the mansion and all of its accompanying Hargreeves start to feel like home.

 

He can’t shake the feeling that something is missing, though, and the solution comes at dinner one night in the form of bright blue lightening.

 

“Christ on a cracker,” Klaus sputters as Dave yanks him backwards in shock.

 

“Relax,” says a short, dirty child. “It’s just us.”

 

An even shorter woman waves excitedly and bounces on the balls of her feet. “Hey, guys.”

 

And then all the Hargreeves are talking at once.

 

“Where have you been-?”

 

“Are you both okay-?”

 

“How’s the music exploding coming along-?”

 

“Blow up any dinosaurs-?”

 

“Come here, dear-”

 

“Welcome home-”

 

“Woah, woah, woah!” Dave bellows, drawing every eye in the room his way. “Can we slow down?”

 

The grumpy child glares at Dave with impressive menace. “And who the hell are you?” He demands, gruff and low- oh.

 

“My boyfriend,” Klaus offers in explanation, still tucked into his side.

 

Dave coughs into his hand. “That’s me. Dave Katz. And you must be, uh, Five?” He asks, number feeling clumsy on his tongue.

 

“Oh. Yeah, that’s me.” He looks Dave up and down quickly before nodding once. “Klaus... talked about me?”

 

He smiles. “Of course, he told me about all of you.”

 

“Touching,” he mutters dryly. And then- “I need some coffee.” -he’s gone.

 

Since none of the Hargreeves react, Dave decides not to mention it either. Instead, he turns to inspect the other stranger, the petite woman.

 

She’s beautiful. Bright eyes, rosy cheeks, an amused smile playing at her lips. She holds herself with strength despite her tiny frame, head held high and shoulders back. Dave takes a step towards her and offers his hand. “And you are?” He asks politely.

 

“You don’t know?” She asks, eyes quickly flitting to Klaus. “I though you said he told you about all of us.”

 

Dave frowns, thrown off. “He has. The only sibling I haven’t met yet is Vanya and- well-” He gestures up and down at the woman, unsure of how to phrase it.

 

“What?” She presses him, smirking in amusement.

 

He shrugs. “From what Klaus has told me, Vanya- well, she’s shy. Quiet. Doesn’t like strangers or stress or confrontation.”

 

“Well,” she says and grins wide, “I guess some things have changed. Nice to meet you, Dave. My name is Vanya Hargreeves.”

 

 

_~ Plus ~ Dave’s 29th Day in 2019 ~_

 

 

With the addition of Five and Vanya, something locks into place.

 

It’s the first time Dave has ever felt this way; like he belongs. His mother had loved him, of course, and he’d cared for his brothers in Vietnam, but this? This is what they write cheesy sit-coms about.

 

Grace is ecstatic to have her children all home and she turns a blind eye to anything that doesn’t deserve her praise. Pogo gruffly accepts any and all chaos with a practiced calm. Luther and Diego have no concept of scale, calmly discussing the apocalypse one moment and then dissolving into all out war over the last of the lucky charms. Ben and Vanya seem to derive some sort of sick pleasure from watching things fall apart around them and- well, let’s just say that Klaus and Five are neck in neck in the ‘what the fuck are you doing’ contest.

 

This leaves the peace keeping to Dave, who is vastly under-qualified, and Allison, who-

 

Who is leaving.

 

“Where are you going?!” Dave shouts at her retreating back. “Take me with yooouu!”

 

Allison laughs as she tugs on her jacket. “Don’t be a drama queen, Katz. I’ll be back in an hour.”

 

“What?!” Dave yelps in shock.

 

Klaus, currently pinned under Dave and squirming violently in an attempt to reach the horrifically disfigured manikin that Five is guarding like a wounded bear, snorts. “We’re all going to die in a house fire.”

 

“Not you,” Five hisses and flings a throw pillow. “You’ll already be dead.”

 

~_~

 

An hour later finds less chaos than Dave would have thought- but still an unreasonable amount for a normal family.

 

So when the door opens to reveal a widely smiling Allison, he hurries to greet her with an enthusiast hug-

 

Only to pull up short, staring down at the child clutching her skirt.

 

She looks like a proper child, not some abomination like Five, with a gap toothed smile and wheeled luggage decorated with butterflies at her side.

 

“Um... hello?” Dave greets. “You, uh, you must be Claire.”

 

She nods. “And you’re my Uncle Dave!”

 

“Uncle... Dave...?” He repeats numbly, eyes going wide.

 

Allison winces. “I’m sorry,” she apologizes. “I just didn’t know what you’d want to be called. You and Klaus are pretty serious-” Dave snorts at the understatement, earning a smile from Allison. “-so I thought uncle would be okay.”

 

Dave can only nod.

 

Yeah, that sounds just fine.

 

 

~_~_~_~

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much! Please leave feedback on future 5+1’s you’d like to see!


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